New Post for Lauren

 So,.... My friend, Lauren, you know Lauren, has been telling me I need to post. This is me today. 

I spent the day with Kip. He stays with me on Tuesdays. He's a cheerful little guy. Of which I am so glad, he pretty much cried his first year of life. He just turned two. He understands almost everything you tell him, he just doesn't talk much. 

Then at 3:00 this happened. Yep, a dump truck load of firewood. 

I stacked some. I did have a little help with Kip bringing me up a few pieces. My son and Kip said they'd come over tomorrow and stack it. Payment will be in the form of Culver's for dinner. I'm so thankful he helps me. 

It's cooler now, but lovely during the day.

Be safe, get your outside chores done. Winter is right around the corner.

Sue

Fall is upon us

 The nights are cooler, the days waiver between hot and chilly. I've built a couple fires in the wood burner. I have used the AC this week. Welcome to Ohio weather. I like fall. I like it for the cooler weather, fires in the fire pit, fresh apples and fresh cider from the local orchard, the smell of fall, the leaves, smoke from the chimneys. I can get my cozy sweaters out from storage. But.... This is a big but. I don't like fall because it means winter is coming. I've ordered a dump truck of wood. I'm cleaning up the garden beds. Yeah, I dislike being cold. 

I finished my Cabbage Rose hooked piece. I turned it into a pillow. 

I used a piece of gold and green striped wool for the back. It was a piece that I thought was maybe too bright for my primitive palate to hook with. But I think it looks great for the pillow. I got this wool in that box Lauren and I bought from Sharon Bennett. All the wool just feels so soft and lovely. 

Later today my neighbor and I are heading to the local Mennonite farm stand. They've got the greatest produce there. I'm hoping to find red beets. 

Have a blessed day, Sue 

What I'm Working On

 A few weeks ago I shared a post of many unfinished rug hooking items. Plus there are a couple that laid forgotten and not counted into the tally. So I've made myself a list and hope to complete at least two of the items per month. 

For August I finished this little heart. This must have been from when I was really new to hooking. It's on burlap. It just needed to be bound. The first wool yarn I tried to use just pulled apart when attempting to pull it through those tiny holes. I ended up using a dark gray wool yarn and whipped it. I used to do all my rugs this way. Now it is not my favorite way to bind.

I finished hooking the turkey rug. It has been steamed, zigzagged, etc.  The wool binding has been sewn onto the rug and I'm turning and securing it. I'm sure I'll get this done. There's not much left to do. 

On a fun note, Mac has been taking gocarting lessons. His grandpa has been taking Mac and his cousins to a racetrack in Fremont Ohio. Today was the cousin's first race. In two weeks Mac will be in his first race. Sounds fun and exciting. 

Now this is a fancy gocart. Nothing like the one I had for the kids when they were young.

In the Garden

 I'm starting to pull up my veggies. Prime growing time is over here in Ohio. These are the few carrots. It's about the same amount I got last year.

This is my first year at growing potatoes. When I went to harvest I came across a few slimy ones, so something has gotten to them. And they are two different colors. I haven't a clue why. 

I planted several pumpkins. This is the only one that came from a purposefully planted seed. It will be orange.

These other pumpkins came from a pumpkin I tossed into a garden bed last fall. I threw out the big orange pumpkins, some white pumpkins, and a blue squash pumpkin into this bed. Boy I wish the blue one was the one that self seeded itself. This pumpkin vine is in the middle of the strawberries. I counted 5 so far. The biggest one is a beige color, the others are white. 

The onions did pretty well this year. Not real big, but half a big basket full and they taste good.

And finally the tomatoes. They have done really well this year. I mostly just eat them raw or I roast them and make them into a soup base for taco soup. Yum. But I have been enjoying a tomato sandwich,just add a little mayo and a little salt. And presto, yummy delicious. 

It's going to be a hot, hot week. Be safe. 

Sue

Around the Yard

 I walked around the house and snapped a few pictures. It has been so dry here this year. The grass is brownish green, leaves are already starting to turn. It's hot, but then cold at night. Fall is nearly here. My son trimmed one of my trees. Many of the limbs are dead. It's been my job to cut the branches into smaller pieces. Mac has been helping me. We've already had two fires. And plan on several more.

A side view of the house.

I bought two of these crib support frames. I'll use them as trellises in the garden. this was another Lauren twisted my arm. Her gardens are so cute so I'll use them as inspiration for my own gardens. 

Phew. I've also been working on this walkway. Last year I salvaged the limestone stepping stones. I've had the grind stone for many years. Now it will be the first step off of the patio. This has been really hard work as the soil is very dry and very hard. I've decided to purchase bags of top soil as filler instead of trying to salvage the yard dirt.  That should make it easier and thus go faster. I'm hoping there is enough stones to lead to th small shed, and maybe a branch leading to the big shed. 

This is a new garden spot this year. So far it's looking good. I'll keep adding to it each year. I'm already thinking about making it wider. 

And little Daisy. Daisy is now two years old. She's a really sweet pup.

What I'm Working On

After I made that list last week I said, "Well Sue, you best get busy". So I've been hooking a little bit each day. I'm working on the turkey pattern from Bird in Hand Primitives. I rehooked a couple of areas and I added more berries. 

This is where I was at last week. 

And this is today. I still have a bit of background and the turkey's wing. I hopefully will finish it this week. But, I'm thinking of adding a couple of rows of a darker brown to the borders to frame it. What'd think about that?

While perusing the internet this week one of my friends came across this. 

Wowzers, isn't this the same turkey? Is it from an "antique" rug? Is Mavis Butterfield using Robin's drawing? If so, she did not credit her. And the price. Oh my, I wish I could get that kind of $$ for my rugs. 

So it leads me to more questions. Why is it alright to sell quilting or needlework patterns after using, but not rug hooking patterns?? Inquiring minds want to know. 

Because a Girl Always Needs More Wool

 Lauren, of Rugs and Pugs, twisted my arm and made me, I mean made me, buy more wool. It is lovely wool. Almost all is over dyed or spotted. It's all just so beautiful. We split the box of wool doing the one for you and one for me method this is my haul. 

At the hook-in I bought some wool and Lauren gave me some. She's nice like that. 

Paula Shultz, of A Primitive Past shop, had this purse she was using as her money bag. Love it. 

And Sally Reuter, who was the organizer for Shipshewana, drew up this pattern and had them for sale.  So, I bought one. 

Seeing other's work inspired me to also make beautiful things. Now to get busy.